Fulbright Pre-Departure OrientationJuly 20 -22, 20ll

PDO Guideto

Moldova

The information in this Guide was contributed by Fulbrighters who were inMoldova during the 2010-2011 grant cycle; namely, Malina Dumas, MelissaMcDonald, Rebecca Ruck, Rod Garnett, Matthew Rellaford, Frank McCarty,Christopher Kelley, and Robert Czerniak.

Contents

I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

II. Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

III. Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

IV. Attire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

V. Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

VI. Medicine, Cosmetics, and Other Personal Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

VII. Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

VIII. International Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

IX. Internet Access and Mobile Phones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

X. Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

XI. Recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

XII. Language and Language Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

XIII. Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

XIV. Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

XV. Gifts and Academic and Event Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

XVI. Toasts and Alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

XVII. Books, Monographs, and Other Resources about Moldova . . . . . . . 33

XVIII. Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

XIX. Contributor Email Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

I. Introduction

You are almost certain to enjoy your stay in Moldova. Most Fulbrighters have beenappreciated by Moldovans, and most Fulbrighters have appreciated and enjoyed their stayin Moldova.

Of course, each Fulbrighter experiences Moldova differently. The reasons for this vary. Location is one reason. Living in Chisinau is different than living in a smaller city.

This Guide cannot take into account all of the variables or even most of them. It does nottry to. Instead, it more modestly offers basic, broadly applicable information andsuggestions.

We hope this information and these suggestions help you. If the information you areseeking is not here, note your question on a margin of this Guide and ask it at the Pre-Departure Orientation. By giving you this Guide in advance of the PDO, we hope tomake the PDO as effective and efficient as possible.

II. Housing

If you have not found housing before you arrive in Moldova, do not be unduly distressed.If you will be living in Chisianu, Chisinau has many hotels at a wide range of prices. Several of the boutique hotels are attractively priced, well-located, and comfortable.Expedia lists some of them. Apartment rental agencies also offer apartments by the dayand week.

2

A. Chisinau

1. Location

a. Centru (City Center)

Housing in the city center, Centru, is generally more expensive than housing in one of theother districts–Botonica, Rîşcani, and Buiucani. Yet, it can also be the most convenientplace to live because most of Chisinau’s stores and restaurants are located in the Centrudistrict. So are the main campus of Moldova State University and the campuses of otheruniversities.

Centru is large, however. And the cost and convenience of housing within it varies.

By default, the best reference point for finding a conveniently located residence isChisinau’s main street, Stefan cel Mare. Living within five to seven blocks of Stefan celMare will put you close to most stores and restaurants and give you the most favorableaccess to public transportation to other parts of Chisinau.

Your specific interests or needs might cause you to favor a reference point other thanStefan cel Mare, however. But, irrespective of where you will be working in Chisinau,you are likely to want to spend considerable time in the city center. This considerationfavors living in the city center near Stefan cel Mare.

b. Rîşcani and Botanica are mostly residential areas, although both have supermarkets,stores, restaurants, parks, and other amenities. Even if you do not live or teach in theseareas, they are worth exploring.

2. Illustrative Housing Stories

• Malina Dumas - I booked an apartment through a website before arriving in Chisinau.This is the apartment I rented specifically:

http://www.md4ever.com/apartment/kiv106/index.html

The apartment was very nice and in a great location but much too big for me to live inalone and overpriced. Payment was convenient because I could use my credit card and agreat Moldovan lady (who would later become a partner for another Fulbrighter’sproject) met me at the apartment and was very helpful to have as a first contact.

I was lucky that on my first day of work at an NGO in Chisinau one of my co-workersinvited me to come live with her and her 16 year-old daughter. Living with a host familywas one of the highlights of my time abroad. This arrangement benefited my culturalimmersion immensely and my language skills improved much more than they would

3

have otherwise. I would recommend living with a host family for part of the time if it’ssomething that interests you. I don’t think it would be difficult to find a host on your ownafter you have made a few contacts. You can also save a significant amount of moneyand have the opportunity to try homemade Moldovan food. I paid my host family indollars and did not have to worry about shopping for groceries and paying bills. Thatmade life a lot easier.

• Rod Garnett - I lived in a medium sized apartment with a nice kitchen in the old part ofChisinău. This apartment was recommended to us at the PDO in July 2010 by anotherFulbrighter who had lived there. The landlords would like very much to keep it inhabitedby Fulbrighters. Rent was 380 Euros per month plus utilities which I paid in lei. You cancontact Jana Tafi on email. She is the daughter of the landlords, but lives in Denmark.jana.tafi@gmail.com

My neighbors are great, and the building has a good renters association. During the yearwe have had upgrades on wiring as well as the appearance of the hallways. I am inMoldova studying nai, a potentially very loud musical instrument, and have been carefulnot to practice in the apartment very much. But I recently had some musicians visitingand we had some long tune sessions that the neighbors seemed to enjoy.

• Matthew Rellaford - In the course of my Fulbright I have lived in three different placeswith three different host families. One of these places, where I lived for eight months,was with a lady I met on a bus. The two other places were found for me through contactswith my affiliation. It is very easy to find a host family in Moldova, and I would highlysuggest staying with a host family. However, you should be aware that there are a lot ofhiccups with host families, so choose wisely.

One way that you can look for apartments and get a good deal is throughwww.makler.md When I was looking for apartments I found some good ones. Thetrouble with www.makler.md is that you usually have to call the person renting theapartment and typically that person doesn’t speak English. Also you have to search ineither Russian or Romanian for a place.

If you can swing, it I would suggest finding a place outside of Chisinau because trueMoldova is outside of Chisinau for the weekends.

I lived a little in Chisinau, and then found a little border village called Varniţa and amcurrently in the Transnistrian town of Grigoriopol. If you would like to live in eithervillage I have contacts that you could contact. [Matthew’s email address is at the end ofthis Guide].

• Frank McCarty - I was in Moldova for the fall term at the State University of Moldova,arriving in late August and leaving just before Christmas. While I needed to be there forthe U.S. Embassy’s Fulbright orientation, in fact it was more than two weeks later that

4

my first class began. While I wanted to get started ASAP, having those days relativelyfree gave me time to find a place to stay, take a map and wander parts of the city, andeven take a few bus/streetcar rides just to see where various routes took you. It took a fullmonth to begin to get to know some of the university professors, and, as you have nodoubt heard, they are extremely busy especially near the start of a term. You’ll need somepatience at the beginning, but no doubt will make friends with colleagues and others.

I reserved an apartment for four days through one of the rental agencies (East/West)foundon web sites. I also made arrangements ahead of time to go with Barbara–recommendedas knowing landlords by Fulbright–during those first few days in Chisinau. She foundseveral good spots and I rented a furnished apartment (#5) at 7 Iorga Street about 5blocks from the university and 3 blocks from the U.S. Embassy and 5-6 blocks fromStefan cel Mare Street, walking through the park.

The rent was $750 per month including weekly cleaning–each time about 2 hours–and allutilities. I brought enough dollars to pay for 2 months. My wife visited for 5 weeks afterthe first 6 weeks and she brought $$ as well. I recommend bringing $$ or euros that willlast for at least 2-3 weeks with you. The apartment was spacious and had all neededitems; large bedroom, small office room, kitchen, large living room, bathroom withshower/bath, internet access, cable tv (not much use), small clothes washer, and dryingporch. It was well heated and had good hot water.

• Christopher Kelley - I lived in a furnished apartment at 30 Armeneasca Street, threeblocks from Stefan cel Mare. The landlord, who works for the USAID outside ofMoldova, learned I was coming to Chisinau from a U.S. Embassy employee and wrote tome offering the apartment. When I was in Chisinau a month before my Fulbright grantbegan, I looked at the apartment and rented it.

The apartment is in the oldest part of the city center in a Soviet-era building. It is large bySoviet-era standards–two bedrooms; a large, open hallway; a large living room; and akitchen. The shower has plenty of pressure and is served by an electric hot water heater. The furniture is attractive and comfortable. A small washing machine is in the kitchen.

The apartment does not have autonomous heat; it is on the city’s heating grid. Chisinauturns the heat on and off by the calendar, not by the outside temperature. Consequently,apartments on the grid can be very cold, as mine was for a memorable week.

Chisinau also gets hot. The apartment I lived in is on the top floor. An apartment on thetop floor or otherwise exposed to the sun can be uncomfortably hot in the summer. Thiswas true for my apartment.

The rent was 515 euros per month, plus utilities. In the winter, the cost of utilitiesexceeded $150. Utilities included gas (the largest bill in the winter), cable television,electricity, water, and a land line.

5

The USD to euro exchange rate deteriorated from January to June. I was able to avoidsome of this loss by bringing a large sum of euros to Chisinau.

My landlord asked for the final month’s rent to be paid in advance.

I paid my utility bills at a nearby Victoriabank. The customary way of paying utility billsis at banks. At Victoriabanks, utility bills are paid at cashier window 2. I kept thereceipts I received so that they would be available to my landlord.

Bills usually are delivered within one week of each other. Waiting until all the bills havearrived before paying any of them is more convenient than paying them as they arrive.

Check your bills carefully to be sure they are for your apartment and not anotherapartment. Mail occasionally is placed in the wrong mailbox. • Bob Czerniak - My wife Beth and I lived at Strada Nikolai Iorga 9 apartment 30 aboutfour blocks north of Stefan Cel Mare in Centru. There are many vacant apartments in theSoviet-style apartment blocks. We rented our apartment from Veronica Kirau. If thereare other Fulbrighters in Chisinau before you, they can help provide contacts. Rod Garnethelped us to find our apartment. It was a two bedroom, with a large dining room,kitchen, and study. Our total living costs were about $800 per month which broke downinto the following categories and amounts:

Rent $560Heating $150 (in the coldest months)Electricity $30Television $12Internet $12Water $18

Drinking water $18 (my wife was concerned about heavy metals in the tap water so we used home delivered bottled water from Apa Buna)

It appears that most landlords prefer euros for rent. Our landlord came to the apartmentonce per month to collect payment for our rent and utility bills (this was done in lei), wepaid her and she paid the bills.

One of the best things we did was to rent an apartment with its own unit for heating theapartment. If you have an apartment that is heated through the central heating plant ofthe city (most apartments), you may find yourself without heat in March when it can stillbe quite cold.

6

Other Cities

• Melissa McDonald - In areas other than Chisinau, the embassy will provide temporaryhousing that you may opt to continue. I asked the embassy to provide a list of averagerates because they left it up to us to negotiate with host families. Your landlord or hostfamily will want cash and possibly dollars on a monthly basis. Make a set contract youboth agree on (all inclusive bill, breakdown of utilities, meals etc). In the case whereyou want to find your own living quarters you will likely find that many apartments areunavailable, however, this is not likely. Your best option is to have colleagues or localcontacts ask around for you. Make sure you are getting a fair rate for these housingoptions.

• Rebecca Ruck - When I arrived in Cahul, the Embassy had not been able to find mehousing and left it up to my co-teacher to find housing for me. I lived in an apartment inthe Lepaevka district of town. Before you make a final decision on an apartment, I wouldsuggest talking to some of the Peace Corps volunteers in Cahul. They can give you acopy of their housing contracts, which list the average cost of rent, utilities, and otherexpenditures. If you choose to live with a host family, there is also a version of thiscontract that has the cost of food included in the price. The average rate for an apartmentin Cahul is 100 Euros without utilities. I paid 130 Dollars a month for my apartment andpaid around 100 Dollars a month for my utilities. The best advice I can give you is to talkwith your coworkers at the university. They will be your best resource in finding housingin Cahul.

III. Safety

1. Personal Safety

• Malina Dumas - Crossing the street is the biggest safety hazard in Chisinau. It’s notcommon to see a woman walking around by herself at night so I wouldn’t necessarilyrecommend doing that. Avoid crossing through parks at night. There aren’t nearly asmany outwardly drunk men waiting around to harass you on the street like there tend tobe in Russia so that was a welcome change. I lived in a well-lit area right in the citycenter that was especially safe because of all the government buildings with 24-hourguards so that helped make me feel secure. I think it’s worth a little extra money to livein a nice neighborhood especially if you’re living by yourself.

• Melissa McDonald - Like anywhere you should be aware of your settings and not walkalone late at night (especially as a woman). I never felt like my safety was in danger butthe lack of street lights and amount of people on the streets often made me feel a littleuneasy. Just have someone escort you home!

I never walked around with a lot of cash or carried my passport once I had my legitimatiabut, again, like you would in the US, be aware of your belongings and keep your purse or

7

wallet close to your body.

• Rebecca Ruck - Cahul is a safe town. I would suggest not speaking many English onpublic transportation because it draws a lot of attention. There are very few women thatwalk around alone at night, so I would suggest not doing this after 9pm. When I got backto my apartment after 9pm, I would have a male friend walk me home. In general, it isnot a good idea to carry a lot of money around. I always carried my legitimatie with meand took my passport with me when I traveled to Chisinau. I was never asked to show mydocuments in Cahul or Chisinau, but it is a good idea to carry them with you just in case.

• Frank McCarty - At first, I took passport and a money belt when I went out, but afterabout 10 days, I took only a copy of my passport in my wallet. I never experienced anyissues with personal safety or with safeguarding cash and property. I’d keep valuablesand money in your apartment in some locked area–suitcase, locked shelf, etc.–becauselandlord/cleaning people were occasionally there when I was absent. If you usereasonable caution, I would have no worries unless you frequent late night clubs orquestionable places where greater care is needed.

• Matthew Rellaford - I find Moldova to be incredibly safe, and, in fact, I feel more atrisk walking on the streets of Provo, Utah, than I do in Chisinau.

My experience has been a lot with Transnistria. Transnistria is totally safe and rarelylives up to any of the horror stories that are told by exaggerating backpackers. I’vecrossed the border hundreds of time and rarely have problems. The few times I’ve beencalled out of the bus to talk with a border guard, I’ve been able to leave or enter withoutany problem. In fact they let me enter at spots that they don’t typically let internationalsenter.

If you’re ever planning on driving in Moldova or Transnistria the police will try and pullyou over a lot. And when they see that you’re from the States they’ll try to take no lessthan $20 off you. If you’re in Moldova, play the Embassy card and tell them you’ll callthe Embassy, or have them fill you out a ticket if you in fact did something wrong. InTransnistria, they’ll threaten to take away your license and rip up your driving permit. Ifyou play the English card, and act like you don’t understand and say “All I have is 20 lei”they’ll eventually take it and let you go. Cops here usually expect a 20-30 lei bribe fromtheir victims. So eventually they’ll give the same preference to you if you refuse to paymore.

• Christopher Kelley - Chisinau is safe. Prudence is appropriate, of course.

The biggest hazard you are likely to face is a daily one–crossing the street. Be carefulcrossing streets. I repeat: Be careful crossing streets. Always.

Be humble, too. Even if you have the right of way, you are no match for an automobile.And scorning careless drivers with so much as a dirty look is not prudent. Just be patient.

8

Standing on the corner an extra minute or two will not kill you. The alternative might.

Dogs sometimes can be overrated as a hazard. But give them heed, too. If you are arunner, occasionally a dog will zero-in on your ankles. Although these dogs do notunderstand English, yell at them will likely keep them at bay. And the old “bend downpretending to pick up a rock” trick can work, too. (By the way, the dogs have theirproblems. They tend to be run over at night. Walk or run the streets before dawn, and youwill see the results.)

Chisinau’s infrastructure is poor. Tripping hazards abound on Chisinau’s sidewalks.Many streets do not have street lights, which adds to the hazard of putting a foot in thewrong place.

Bring a small flashlight for dark apartment stairwells. A LED flashlight is a good choice.Bring two; you might misplace one.

• Bob Czerniak - Chisinau is a safe place. In the six months we lived here there were twomurders (compare that to most US cities). Common sense is your best guide. We feltsafe walking to or from concert in Centru as late as 10 p.m. at night. We had noproblems with pickpockets, but we were still careful about how much money we carried.

2. Safeguarding Cash and Other Property

• Christopher Kelley - I carried my wallet in my front pocket. Wallets designed as front-pocket wallets, however, are likely to be too small to hold the identity card (residentpermit) you will be given and told by the Embassy to carry at all times.

In my apartment, I kept cash in a half-full cereal box and under the ironing board cover. Ihad done the same when I was a Fulbrighter in Ukraine. In Ukraine, this matteredbecause my apartment was burglarized, and all my valuables were stolen except my cash.

In my Chisinau apartment, hiding money probably was over-cautious. I forgot to lockmy apartment door at night about two times a week every week and nothing came of this. But if you want to hide your money, do not hide it in books or in the freezer or tape itunder drawers and tables. These are common hiding places–too common to be secure.

IV. Attire

1. Shoes and Shoe Care

• Melissa McDonald - Shoes are a big part of Moldovan culture. Keeping them clean andin good shape are important. Females who wish to fit in and look professional at workshould pack black heels/boots. My rain boots were looked at strangely but were veryuseful on the muddy streets. A trendy but sturdy pair of winter boots will help you out

9

during the winter as well. Open toed shoes are really not worn in the spring; expect tosee a lot of flats. Again these are only suggestions, but Moldovans tend to stare at yourfeet if you wear something out of the norm.

• Rebecca Ruck - Moldovan style is a very important part of their culture. I wouldsuggest packing two pairs of flats, a pair of heels, a nice pair of boots, a pair of flip-flops,and a pair of good winter boots. You can buy these once you get to Chisinau, butselections were slim in Cahul and boots were usually overpriced. I think my biggestlifesaver was YakTraks. I would suggest bringing at least one pair. In Cahul, they do notsalt the roads when it snows, so ice is your biggest threat.

• Christopher Kelley - Clean shoes are important, as is attire generally. Keep your shoesclean. I brought shoe care supplies with me, including Sno-Seal waterproof dressing.Sno-Seal works well on dress shoes; it is not just for boots. You also can purchasepolish, polish applicators, and brushes in Chisinau, but these are items that easily fit in asuitcase.

Granted, it is troublesome to keep shoes clean in snowy, muddy, and dusty weather,which covers all of Moldova’s seasons. But if you walk around in dirty shoes, you willbe about the only person in Chisinau who does.

Bring comfortable shoes. You probably will walk in Moldova more than you walk in theU.S.

As to attire generally, Moldovan students dress better than U.S. students. I teach at a lawschool in the U.S. where the lawyer’s uniform is the standard faculty attire. This was thestandard attire at Moldova State University’s law school, too.

2. Ice Traction Aids

• Christopher Kelley - I brought “Stabil.icers Sport” ( www.32north.com ) ice-tractionoutsoles. Available from running goods suppliers, they are designed for running shoesbut can be used on other shoe types. I never used them in Chisinau. But I have usedthem elsewhere and recommend them.

In the winter, I ran before dawn on the streets, which are cleared overnight. Thesidewalks are too icy to run on. They are not clear of ice in many places until the icemelts. Ice can become quite elderly in Moldova.

If you are going to wear ice traction gear, think about where you will put the gear whenyou enter buildings. They will be wet and dirty if you have worn them to get to thebuilding. I favor zip-lock plastic bags for many purposes, including waterproof storage.

• Bob Czerniak - Moldova does not clean its sidewalks in the winter. They can be icy.

10

Using Yak traks (from REI) as a clip on to your shoes can help with traction.

3. Clothing

a. Professional Attire

• Melissa McDonald - Women should expect to dress appropriately for work. Skirts anddresses are very common. You will see less women in pants but I often wore pants and anice top, this was acceptable. Be aware that you don’t need a lot of clothing. Moldovansbelieve in having a few quality outfits, as opposed to Americans with big closets. Packthings you can mix and match that will last. If you aren’t living in Chisinau, make sureyou pack clothes that don’t need to be dry-cleaned.

• Malina Dumas - I don’t have much to add to what has been covered by the othersalready, but I want to emphasize that you shouldn’t plan on doing any shopping forclothes in Moldova. Everything is more expensive than in most of Europe and the US andthe quality isn’t always great. You should bring whatever you think you’ll need. You willprobably feel underdressed most of the time (women only), but it’s also important to becomfortable because you’ll probably be doing a lot of walking on sidewalks that are indisrepair.

• Rebecca Ruck - If you are working at a university, you need to wear business casualattire regularly. The style of dress is more formal in Moldova. If you dress nicer, yourcoworkers will respect you more. Dressing up for classes is a symbol of respect, so youwill fit into Moldova culture more if you wear similar clothes. Sometimes I would weardressy jeans to class, but I always complimented it with a nice top. I would pack twoskirts and two nice dresses. I brought a suit for nicer occasions.

• Frank McCarty - People in Chisinau like to look nice when they go out even at theuniversity. While for presentations, I usually wore a coat and tie, for classroom work Ioften wore only shirt and tie or shirt and blazer but not shirt, tie and coat. I found peopleat the university expected professors to dress similar to professional people in big citiesin U.S. During the days I was at university but not teaching, I’d generally have a coatwithout tie when it was a little cool and only a shirt and slacks when it was warmer. Ifyou’re meeting special people, a suit is better than sport coat. Casual wear is about thesame as in the U.S., but as in most of Europe very little wearing of shorts even in warmweather.

You can buy most of what you need in clothing in Chisinau, but suits and shoes are quitedifferent in styles than in U.S. I brought all clothes I needed and bought almost nothing.You can buy some winter hats and gloves and scarves there. As for winter shoes, I’dbring some sturdy winter shoes with some type of tread–not smooth–on the bottom.Women will definitely want dress boots. I’m from Michigan, so while it does get coldthere, it is not unusual for those from northern U.S. climates.

11

• Christopher Kelley - I taught in a blazer and tie, although I often removed my blazer. Iwore washable wool pants and dress chinos. My pants were dark colored: navy blue,charcoal, and olive.

I wore wash-and-wear shirts. I ironed them as soon as I removed them from the washer,which also helped to dry them.

I favor light-blue dress shirts over white shirts because they are easier to keep clean ifyour apartment does not have a washing machine.

I taught four days a week, sometimes five days. I should have brought two blazers giventhe amount of wear without dry cleaning that my single blazer suffered.

• Bob Czerniak - I wore a coat and tie four times in six months. To some degree itdepends on how often you will attend formal functions.

b. Casual Attire

• Christopher Kelley - Polo-style shirts are nice for casual wear in the spring and summer.Chisinau summers can be really hot. I wore shorts in my apartment but not on the street.

• Bob Czerniak - Short sleeve shirts are important after May probably through August. We did not bring them (we arrived in January), but purchased some at the Piata Centraland some at Malldova.

c. Winter Wear

• Melissa McDonald - In the winter it will likely be very cold in your house during theday and even colder at your school. Make sure to pack a few turtlenecks and sweaters. Wearing long silk underwear or tights under your clothes is helpful too.

• Rebecca Ruck - In the winter, you should bring a winter coat that will keep you warmin 15-degree weather. It gets very cold and dressing in layers is essential. I would bring apair of earmuffs, a warm scarf, several pairs of long underwear and at least four pairs ofheavy winter socks.

• Matthew Rellaford - I don’t think you’ll need to worry too much about clothing. A lotof people here have European mountaineering jackets, etc., so you can bring yourColumbia gortex coat and fit in. Bring lots of clothes with you because clothing is reallyexpensive here. Bring a nice warm coat, warm hat, warm wool socks, and thermals. Ididn’t come prepared and thought Moldova would have the same, mildish winters that Igrew up with in Utah. Whilst it wasn’t much colder in Utah, I had a car there and warmbuildings to keep me warm wherever I go. Here you have cold busses, cold streets, andcold homes depending on where you live.

12

Particularly bring some good warm shoes that don’t look like snowboarding boots andare stylish. I would buy lots of pairs of wool socks as well.

• Christopher Kelley - Moldova winters are cold. Bring warm clothes. I wore a waxedcanvas coat with a removable liner (Barbour), which allowed me to adjust it for thetemperature. The coat weighs a ton, however, and I was pleased when I no longer neededit.

I wore silk or microfiber underwear. Both are lightweight and dry quickly. And, apartfrom long underwear, silk and microfiber underwear will work in all seasons.

Classrooms can be over-heated or under-heated. Dressing in layers can be useful.

• Bob Czerniak - I used a fleece jacket, scarf, a North Face parka, a wool hat, and gloves. This with a sweater, wool pants, and long underwear (top and bottom) was more thanadequate to stay warm.

4. Laundry and Dry Cleaning

• Rebecca Ruck - There were no drycleaners in Cahul. I would suggest bringing very fewdry clean-only outfits unless you want to commute to the capital with your dry cleaning. Iwashed my laundry by hand for a year, which was a bit daunting at times. If this willbother you, I would suggest looking for an apartment with a washer. There are very fewin Cahul with washers, and most of my friends did their laundry by hand.

• Matthew Rellaford - Read this carefully: There are no laundromats in Chisinau. I know,it’s hard to believe, but I searched and searched and didn’t find any. I would suggestgetting a place with a washing machine. Most average, middle class families havewashing machines now. Having to do clothes by hand is miserable, not as clean, andtakes up a lot of time.

• Frank McCarty - As for laundry and dry cleaning, I did my own laundry and hungthings out to dry on the drying porch. The washer was small so I did fairly frequent loads,but everything would dry in a day or less. I ironed as needed.

There are several dry cleaners in town–including one at Sun City mall on Puskin nearStefan cel Mare. The expats web site also recommends some. I once took bus or cab toMalldova and dropped off dry cleaning there, but actually did not make use of drycleaning.

• Christopher Kelley - My apartment had a small washing machine. I dried my clothes ona drying rack on my apartment’s balcony. Drying is slow in the winter. I dried sheets inthe winter by folding them and putting them on radiators. This dried them in about eighthours. In the summer, sheets dried in four or five hours on a sunny balcony.

13

Blue jeans can be ironed dry or put over a radiator to dry. On a hot, sunny day, myapartment’s balcony could dry a bucket of water in an hour. Or so it seemed.

I did not use dry-cleaning services. Chisinau has them, but none were close to myapartment. I brought a suit but wore it infrequently.

If your apartment does not have a washing machine, you can use your feet for theagitation cycle if you wash your clothes in the shower.

• Bob Czerniak - Our apartment had a small washing machine and a drying room. It tooka little over 24 hours for pants to dry. Everything else took less time. I brought all washand wear clothes so did not use dry cleaning services.

V. Money

1. Cash v. ATMs

• Malina Dumas - I think it’s best to bring as much cash as you can in euros or dollars. Ihave Bank of America and it hits me with outrageous fees to take money out of an ATMabroad; as much as $8 for each transaction. Considering many ATMs in Moldova won’tgive you more than a couple hundred dollars, using my debit card only would not havebeen a good plan. I’ll echo what Chris said about making sure the bills are crisp. You canrun into problems exchanging bills that are sub-par.

• Melissa McDonald - Last orientation someone suggested I get a USAA debit cardbecause they won’t charge you for international withdrawals. Anyone may open aUSAA account, regardless of military relations. ATMs have their own charges but thisdefinitely saved me some money. Like everyone else I took out large sums at once.

• Rebecca Ruck - I would also suggest getting a USAA debit card. When I took outmoney, I took it out in large sums to avoid transaction fees. I brought extra cash from theUS with me. I would highly recommend doing this in case you lose your banking card orother situations arise. When I was in Kyiv for the Fulbright orientation, I had my identitystolen and my card had to be deactivated. The extra cash I brought with me from the USprovided me with cash until I received my new banking card. In Cahul, I withdrewmoney from the same bank that Peace Corps volunteers did. There is an ATM in themayor’s office, which is directly right of the university.

• Rod Garnett - I knew about the need for Euros before coming to Moldova. My rent ispaid in Euros and I have purchased musical instruments in Euros. I also paid for my nailessons with Euros. This means that I have used Euros for rent, lessons, and instruments,and lei from ATMs for everything else. I have not used a credit card here yet.

14

• Matthew Rellaford - At Moldinconbank on strada Vlaicu Pîrcalab very close to theintersection with Stefan Cel Mare, you can get dollars and euros from the ATMs. That’sthe only place I’ve found for getting dollars out.

• Frank McCarty - I’d bring 2-4 months of cash from the U.S. You can change $$ to lei in dozens of spots in Chisinau without fees because so many Moldovans receive moneyfrom those working in other countries. I would not seek to pay in dollars or euros.However, some places (landlords, foreign travel) that deal more with foreigners will askyou to pay in $$ or euros. Quite a few places take credit cards and I used at the grocerystore, restaurants and some shops. Make sure you know ahead of time how your creditcards charges for foreign currency (lei) transactions. I used two different cards and eachcharged what I regarded as quite reasonable fees.

For ATMs, I found my visa credit/debit card charged $3.50 for each transaction, so whenI used the ATM I would get several weeks or a month’s worth of leis so the cost per $$was minimal. I found an ATM on Stefan cel Mare near Pushkin that I used. It is on thestreet just past Pushkin and I always got a receipt and never had any problems. Use theATM during daylight hours at a non busy time. The Moldencom Bank ATMs can giveyou Euros from the ATM.

• Christopher Kelley - I brought USDs and euros. I do not recall exactly how much Ibrought, but I brought at least $5,000 in USD and euros.

Be sure the money you bring is relatively new and clean. One hundred dollar bills arebest.

Plan ahead. Your local bank might have to order euros and clean $100 bills for you.

I carried credit cards but did not use them in Chisinau except on internet transactions.

While I was in Chisinau, one of my credit card accounts was hacked and purchases weremade with the card number in the U.S. The credit card company cancelled the card.Obviously, having your credit card cancelled while you are in Moldova can beinconvenient because the wait for a replacement card can be lengthy. In my case, this didnot matter because I had another card. But it was a reminder of the limits of relying on asingle credit card while you are abroad.

You will spend money in Chisinau. It is not an inexpensive place to live.

2. Best ATM Machines

• Christopher Kelley - ATM machines are ubiquitous in Chisinau. The ATM in theMcDonald’s on Stefan cel Mare dispenses only 100 and 50 lei bills when a largesum–2,000 lei, for instance–is withdrawn. This is good. Larger denominated bills are

15

more difficult to spend except to pay utility bills, restaurant tabs, and supermarketpurchases. Using a large bill at a kiosk is likely to annoy the vendor, assuming thevendor accepts the bill.

I usually withdrew 2,000 or 3,000 lei at each ATM visit. The maximum withdrawalallowed is 3,000 lei.

During the spring of 2011, the USD - Moldovan lei exchange rate appeared to averagearound 1 USD for 11.50 lei. The arithmetic is easier if you pretend 1 USD will buy 10lei.

Using a 1 to 10 exchange rate for convenience will be close enough for most purposes.For instance, if you tell yourself you have spent $20.00 each time you spend 200 lei, youwill err by less than $3.00. At a 1 to 11.5 exchange rate, 200 lei is $17.39.

Be sure to tell your bank card and credit card issuer(s) that you will be in Moldova.Otherwise, you risk having your card(s) blocked.

I carry bank ATM cards from two banks when I am abroad. This saved me a lot of griefwhen I was a Fulbrighter in Ukraine in 2005 and left one of the cards in an ATMmachine.

• Bob Czerniak - The Victoria bank ATM’s, located throughout the city, were excellent. They never failed to work and did not charge a service fee when we used our debit card.

VI. Medicine, Cosmetics, and Other Personal Items

• Rebecca Ruck - Bring your own medicine. I arrived to Moldova with half a suitcase fullof medicine. While this was a bit excessive, I always felt better having the medicineavailable if I needed it. Medicine is very different in Moldova and in Cahul; you will notbe able to find the medicines you are accustomed to in America. Here is a list ofmedicines that I would recommend:

Antibiotics: Cipro, Flagyl, Levaquinn, Augmentin;Miscellaneous: Centrum Multivitamin, Pepto Bismol, Tums, Imodium, Tylenol,Tylenol PM, Dayquil, Benadryl, and;Anything else you think you might need.

I would also suggest bringing lamisil, antibiotic cream, and hydrocortisone cream.

I twisted my ankle during my first week in Moldova and was surprised to find that localpharmacies have neither Ace Wraps nor Ice packs. If you have room, it would be a goodidea to bring both. In addition, I brought a small first aid kit with me that was always niceto have around.

16

• Frank McCarty - Bring your own medicine. I think aspirin and some other over-thecounter stuff would be all right to purchase, but you should have a good supply with you.The Embassy doesn’t want you to be using its mail service too often, but you couldprobably have needed refills shipped to you at the Embassy. Fortunately, I had what Ineeded and did not need to purchase such items. I’d consult with the Embassy for sourcesif you do need them; they have and will provide you with good info.

• Matthew Rellaford - Go to Prima Medica for your healthcare needs. It’s on VasiliAlexandri and is recommended by the Embassy. It usually costs between 150-250 lei fora consultation with a doctor. If you need to get an x-ray you can go to the state of the artGerman Diagnostic Center and get an x-ray for 200-250 lei.

I got a bad sinus infection but antibiotics you can buy over the counter, so I was able totreat myself with a doctor’s advice.

• Christopher Kelley - Bring enough prescription medicine to cover your needs. You canget just about anything else you will need in Chisinau, unless you favor the very newest,100-blade razor cartridges. Chisinau is at the four-blade cartridge stage; I did not see anySchick Hydro five-blade cartridges in Chisinau. But I am sure they will be there soon.

But bring at least a two-week supply of everything you will need. You will have enoughon your mind during your first days in Moldova.

Make sure aspirin, vitamins, and the like are still within their “use-by” limit. I broughtaspirin that had expired five years earlier.

You will get sick. Bring your favorite over-the-counter medicines, especially the magicpotions that dry up congested lungs and noses. Have enough with you for at least twobouts with lung and nose congestion. And bring handkerchiefs.

If you have rented a furnished apartment, you might not have rented towels, shampoo,and soap. Unless you know you will have a towel in your apartment waiting for you onyour first night in Moldova, bring a lightweight one. You will want a shower when youarrive. You do not want to have to roll on the floor to dry yourself.

Bring a corkscrew. I spent several wine-starved nights before I found a corkscrew in thelarge No. 1 supermarket in the Sun City shopping center on Puskin Street. Curiously, ina county that justly prides itself on its wine, corkscrews are not easy to find.

I got haircuts at a high-end beauty salon on Armeneasca Street near my apartment, SalonAfrodita (www.afrodita.md ). There was always someone there who spoke English. Afailure to communicate with someone wielding scissors can be unfortunate.

17

VII. Food

1. Grocery Stores

• Melissa McDonald - There are grocery stores in cities other than Chisinau. You willfind a wider selection of produce at the markets.

• Rebecca Ruck - Cahul has a lot of alimentars, or small markets. You can buy yourvegetables at the vegetable market. There is a nice grocery store (with aisles) calledModern Market that is near Lapaevka. You can take the number five bus and get off onthe station directly after the bus station stop if you are coming from the center. Modernhas the most selection and the staff is very friendly.

I brought a set of reusable bags with me. This was a great purchase because you have topay extra for bags in Moldova. I used Envirosax bags and found them very useful duringmy time in Moldova.

• Frank McCarty - You will be pleasantly surprised by Chisinau; a lot of very good andreasonably priced food. I shopped at the No. 1 market because it was close, butoccasionally went to larger markets with better selection. You can easily findtransportation to them by bus or van, but taxis are very reasonable too. I’d recommendshopping at several places, unless one is great and very convenient, until you know whatyou can find at each and then do what suits you. The “farmer’s market” is great forcheese, fresh fruits and vegs; I usually purchased meat and fish at grocery store. Stickmostly with chicken and pork meat; good beef is difficult to find.

• Christopher Kelley - I shopped at No. 1 supermarkets almost exclusively. Productselection varies by store size. None are Alice’s Restaurant where you can get anythingyou want. But if you cannot find it, you probably do not need it.

Do not expect bargains, however. Supermarkets are expensive. Indeed, Chisinau isexpensive, excepting the open-air markets, public transportation, and wine.

You are likely to shop for groceries often. The plastic bags at the No. 1 stores are toughenough to hold a horse, but you will not want to carry a horse six or seven blocks fromthe store to your apartment. If a day passed when I was not in a Number 1 store, I do notremember it. Just keeping water, juice, yogurt, cereal, and wine in stock sent me to theNo. 1 store daily.

Eastern European fruit juices are great. I favor Ukraine’s Sandora. Lurking behindmany, if not most, of the prominently displayed brands is the respective company’sowner: Coca-Cola or Pepsi. But, fortunately, Coke and Pepsi have not turned allbeverages into sugared water.

18

• Bob Czerniak - Basically, anything you can buy in a grocery store in the US, you canfind in one form or another in one of the three large grocery stores in Chisinau(Forchette’s (at Malldova), Numerul 1 Hypermarket (on Dacia), Greenhills (at the Plazaon Decibal). There are many smaller grocery stores, Fidesco and Numerul 1’s,throughout the city , but these three are similar in size and product variety to US stores. They also accept US credit cards. Here is list of typical US products and some othersthat can be purchased in these stores:

TideColgate toothpasteNestle productsActiva yogurtDannon yogurtThai hot sauceKikkoman Soy sauceGilette razors and shaving creamMars candy barsCoke and Coke light, Fanta, PepsiThai Hot SauceKellogg’s cerealsFresh fruit and vegetables from Turkey and north Africa (most better than US products)Meat (pork, chicken, some beef) can be purchased in cuts that familiar to US consumersFish (smoked and fresh, i.e., live or prepared) that is excellentTuna from Russia that is outstandingExcellent salmonExcellent sardines from Portugal

2. Restaurants

• Rebecca Ruck - Cahul has a good selection of restaurants. Andy’s Pizza is good if youare craving American Food. There is Vulcan Cafeteria if you want cheap and tastycafeteria food. Marco Polo has good traditional Moldovan food, as does this restaurantlocated under the Azalia Hotel. Bistro is a great place to get swarma if you want to try it!

• Frank McCarty - You’ll find many restaurants and cafes. I like the yellow café onPushkin about a block off of Stefan cel mar but also ate fairly regularly at someuniversity cafeterias and coffee spots. The quiches at the French deli are great as are theirdesserts. The expat group meets weekly at different restaurants and I found that a greatway to meet people and try different places. Sometimes the choices are pricey byMoldovan standards, but not bad for a nice night out by U.S. standards.

• Christopher Kelley - Chisinau is flush with nice restaurants. The nice ones are pricedaccordingly. I ate in them often enough to give a caring financial planner a coronary. Butthey offer truly good food of all sorts. Give the Loft and Carmelos a try. Within a

19

month, you will have recommendations of your own. English-language menus arecommon at the more up-scale restaurants.

VIII. International Mail

• Rebecca Ruck - I had several packages sent to me in Cahul. My packages were sentwith tracking numbers and when they arrived at the Post Office in Cahul, I receivednotification that they had arrived. Taking a Moldovan with you to get your package at thepost office will help you immensely. If the staff finds out that you are American then youmight have to pay unnecessary fees. You will only be able to pick up internationalpackages on Tuesday and Friday in Cahul. Your package will be checked by customs onthese days so be prepared to talk to a customs official. Your packages from Americashould not have new items and if they are new, make sure the tags are removed beforesending them to Moldova.

• Frank McCarty - This is difficult. You can use the Embassy for a few packages andletters to or from you, but not on a regular basis. I mailed via the main post office onStefan cel Mare and had no problems, but you do wait and wait and see bureaucracy inaction. Cost is a bit high, but manageable for small parcels.

• Christopher Kelley - International parcels must be picked up at the post office acrossthe street from the train station. Include your mobile telephone number on the addresslabel if you know it before the parcel is shipped. I had a Moldovan SIM card before Imoved to Moldova as a Fulbrighter. If you want to know your telephone number beforegoing to Moldova and you will not be the first to arrive, consider asking the firstFulbrighter in your group to arrive in Moldova to buy a SIM card for you and to send youits number.

Even in a mobile number’s absence, however, you probably will be called when theparcel arrives. Though I did not know my apartment’s land-line number, the post officeknew it and called me when my packages arrived. The callers did not speak English. Still, the purpose of each call was clear. All you need to recognize is the Russian wordfor post office.

You will need your passport to retrieve the parcel. At the end of the process, you will beushered into a room where the parcel will be opened and inspected for contraband. Thepostal employees who do this speak English and are courteous. After the parcel isinspected, it will be resealed and given to you. Expect the process to take up to an hour,depending how many others are doing the same thing at the same time.

Consider using Meest America for shipments that are not eligible for the diplomaticpouch. Meest America is expert at shipping to and from eastern Europe.

20

IX. Internet Access and Mobile Phones

• Rebecca Ruck - I used an Orange USB for internet and found it useful when I was intown. However, I lived in an apartment complex and received very bad reception there. Iwould suggest buying the highest memory option because you can have unlimiteddownloading at night if you so desire. There is no WiFi in Cahul, so if WiFi is somethingyou really need, then I would suggest buying the DSL internet and bringing your ownrouter from the US. If you need internet in the classroom then go with the Orange USB.You will need a Moldovan to go with you. My coworker and I shared an internet planand I paid her a monthly fee. Otherwise, I would suggest getting DSL.

• Rod Garnett - There is a good, fast internet connection in my apartment, but it took meabout two weeks to get it working. During the day I find the American Resource Centerto be a great place to do email and various kinds of work. The people there have allowedme to study and work there whenever it is open.

• Frank McCarty - I had internet access at my apartment so that is where I preparedthings. There is access at the state university, but so many people seek to use so fewaccess points, it doesn’t make sense to use it there. The American Resource Center –justacross from the U–also is a good spot. You can check out books and materials there andcan use their computers–not daily but occasionally.

• Christopher Kelley - I used an Orange USB modem for internet access. Its advantagewas that, theoretically, I had internet access everywhere, including in the classroom. Itsdisadvantage was that it did not invariably work well. At times, the Orange 3G speedwas too slow to load gmail, even in HTML. My students who used Orange USB modemscomplained about the poor performance of their Orange USB modems, too.

Overall, I would rate Orange at 3 on a 1 to 10 scale. If you favor a USB modem, considerMoldcell, the other major mobile phone provider in Moldova. I have not used a MoldcellUSB modem, but almost every time I used my Orange USB modem, I was tempted toswitch to Moldcell. With either provider, you will save a few dollars, maybe considerablymore, if you bring your own USB modem.

You are supposed to have a resident permit to get contract-based internet service withOrange. I was able to sign-up for contract service on my second day in Chisinau with avariation of the Monty Python, “wink, wink; nudge, nudge” approach. I cannot explain it,but the second representative I spoke with let the absence of a resident permit pass afterthe first representative waved me off because I did not then have my permit. (I receivedmy permit about 30 days after entering Moldova.) Maybe just chatting up a storm andsmiling helped. Or maybe the resident permit rule is frequently honored in the breach.

In any case, bring your computer to the main Orange store near the McDonald’s onStefan cel Mare if you want to try Orange internet service. Monthly rates are based on

21

how much data you want to receive. I paid 200 lei per month (less than $20.00) and neverhit the data limit downloading law review articles and monographs.

If you want to try a Moldcell USB modem, the main Moldcell store is on the other end ofStefan cel Mare relative to Orange’s main store, roughly across the street from the UNICshopping center.

DSL service is available in most areas in Chisinau. And most restaurants have wi-fi. Sodo some Chisinau parks, but they are impractical places to use wi-fi in the winter.

I brought unlocked mobile phones with me. I used both Orange and Moldcell pre-paymobile phone service. You can buy a SIM card at any of the countless Orange andMoldcell mobile phone franchise stores. You recharge pre-pay phones by purchasingcards with scratch-off surfaces covering the code or at vending machines designed forthis purpose.

Mobile phones are less expensive in the U.S. than they are in Moldova. But you can buybottom-of-the-line Nokias and Samsungs in Moldova at low cost. These phones haveenough plastic in their construction to be melted down into nice ashtrays if you want toput them to this purpose after you are finished with them. They work, however.

As soon as you get a SIM card, take a few minutes to enter the U.S. Embassy contactnumbers you will be given or already have. Mobile phones can summon emergency help,so you want the numbers you might need stored on your phone.

On Orange, calls to the U.S. are expensive. My casual impression was that Moldcellinternational calling was less expensive. Of course, Skype is the least expensive option.

• Bob Czerniak - Internet access is excellent and inexpensive. You can use in housewired connections. You can also use Orange cell phone with wireless connection thatwork fine.

There is no doubt that using prepaid sim cards is the way to go in Moldova. You canpick a phone for about $50 that will make and receives call and instant messaging plushave a calculator, calendar, and games. If you buy a phone that is only for Moldova, itcannot be used in another country even if you change out the sim card. Buy a phone thatcan be used outside the Moldova, then when you arrive, for example in Hungary, buy asim card there. Switch out the Moldova card (don’t throw it away because it still hasmoney on it) and use your phone. When you get back to Moldova, put in the Moldovacard. The sim cards cost about $10 minimum. This worked for us in Turkey (where Imade a few calls to the US) and Romania.

22

X. Transportation

• Rebecca Ruck - Cahul has a great bus and routiera network, so you will reallyappreciate the transportation options available to you. Buses run from 6am until 9pm atnight. I often took the bus to work and it cost me 3 lei per ride. Getting to Chisinau canbe a bit of a hassle. You can leave from the center gate or the north gate. If you take a bigbus, then it will take you 3-4 hours to get to Chisinau. Routieras are sometimes faster,and I would highly suggest taking an “elicited routiera”. These are private vans that willtake you directly to the capital without stopping in Cantemir and Leova. This is thefastest option. You will find these routieras at the central gate in Cahul, and they are onlysometimes available. In Chisinau, you can also find these routieras directly across fromthe South Gate. If you are standing on the side of the South Gate where the busses arelined up, then go across the parking lot and up a set of stairs to a garage area. There willbe men shouting “Cahul,” and these will be your elicited routiera drivers.

The transportation website I used most was www.autogara.md

•RodGarnett‐ItaketrolleibusesandmicrobuseseverywhereinChi?inău.TherearealsogoodbusestonearbyvillageslikeCricova.Theminibusesare faster, but thetrolleibuses are often nicer because they have regular stops and even if they are crowdedthey do not feel quite as claustrophobic as a full minibus.

Bob Czerniak and I enjoyed renting a car for two days to drive to Giurgiule?ti. Thedriving was pretty easy, but very bumpy on the rough roads. The rental agency was easyand convenient, and while the car was not in perfect shape (lots of scrapes and dents andmissing tail lights) they were very helpful and happy when we returned it on time.

• Frank McCarty - Chisinau is very easy to get around in. Frankly, I walked mostplaces—even if it was 20 minutes away. In poor weather, I’d take the bus-streetcar orminivan. The Chisinau internet transportation site–see Bob Czernick’s comments–isexcellent to show you routes. However, I also just paid attention regarding the numberson routes and at places I tended to go and found which ones to use. If you’re going to aperson’s house, I recommend a cab. If a place within 10-15 minutes, either walk or findout from the place or via internet what number and type of transportation to use. Ifyou’re giving a talk someplace, ask them—how do I get there from Stefan cel mare? Fortaxi, you’ll probably need to learn the pronunciation of your street and the apartmentcomplex number and a few words. Find a recommended taxi number or two or three touse to call and always use them. Some have people who can and will speak English, butothers will work with you to understand your requests.

When I crossed the border by car to Odessa, Ukraine, and Brasov, Romania, I hired a carand driver. We used the service and found them to be quite good. It is not cheap, but it issafe, you have someone to help you across the border and even in the places you aregoing and street signs and driving customs in these countries–both in city and rural

23

areas–is difficult to manage.

• Christopher Kelley - I walked everywhere in Chisinau except to the airport and thesouth bus station. (The south bus station is for buses going to Romania; the north busstation is for buses going to Ukraine; the central bus station is for bus service withinMoldova.) My walking commute to Moldova State’s law school took about an hour eachway. When the sidewalks were icy, another 10 or 15 minutes were required.

I used taxis to go to the airport and the south bus station.

The airport is small and fairly new. Arrivals and departures are in the same terminal.

The airport is nice, too. It offers free wi-fi, although you are not likely to notice or needthis when you arrive.

You must make your own arrangements to get from the airport to wherever you aregoing. Taking a taxi is the default option.

Taxi fare to and from the city center and the airport varies from 60 to 100 lei, although itmight be higher when you arrive. Even if it is twice this much, you are not going to walkfrom the airport to the city center. And you will likely wait for a long time for a mini-busor a full-sized bus. Take the taxi. Pay what it costs and forget about it.

You can exchange money at the airport. Several banks have booths near where you willenter the airport after collecting your luggage. The airport has at least one ATM. ThisATM is located on the departures side of the airport, which is only a few steps from thearrivals side. If one of the bank booths is open, I recommend changing a $100 bill there.You will then have over 1,000 lei, which probably will be ten times as much as you willneed to take a taxi from the airport to the city center.

Representatives of taxi companies will be standing near the exit to the airport that isclosest to where you will enter the terminal after collecting your luggage. Ask one ofthem for a taxi. They speak enough English to make the arrangements. If you have only a street address for your destination and are uncertain if you can pronounce the streetname correctly, write your destination on a piece of paper and show it to whoever needsto know where you want to go, including the taxi driver.

I tipped taxi drivers 20%. I used the same rate for all tips.

I have been told that Moldcell sells SIM cards at a location near the airport baggagecarousal; that is, before you enter the main terminal.

All of the airline employees I have dealt with at the airport speak English fluently.

24

As you collect your baggage, collect your thoughts. If you just flew across the Atlantic,you are going to be tired.

Flying in and out of Chisinau (KIV) is pricy. If you want to save money on flyingsomewhere while you are living in Moldova, consider taking a bus to Iasi, Bucharest,Odesa, or Kyiv and flying from there. Consider the hassle of doing this, too.

• Bob Czerniak - Here is the best website, I’ve found for transportation in Chisinau-http://www.chisinau.md/tabview.php It includes information for autobuses, trolley buses(electric) and the van taxis (maxitaxis, mashutkas, microbuses) The trolley buses areexcellent, but many are old. Chisinau just received 25 new trolley buses (they shouldhave 70 more by summer of 2012) which are fine to ride. The LukOil and Moldasigbuses are also excellent. They do become crowded so be patient. If an older person getson the bus, usually someone will give them the seat so don’t hesitate to do this. There isa ticket person on every bus (don’t worry she’ll find you) who collects the two or threelei fee and will provide you with a ticket. Taxis are easy to find. They cost no more than40 lei ($3-4) to go almost anywhere in the city. You can even find them outside grocerystores to give you a ride after shopping. The maxitaxis are everywhere. They are fastand inexpensive (3 lei). They are crowded most of the time. If you can get a seat, take itbecause it won’t last long. These vehicles are built to hold about about twenty peopleseated and perhaps six standing, but they can have as many as 35 people on them so beaware of whether you are claustrophobic or not and make sure you are in a place whereyou get off at your stop.

XI. Recreation

• Malina Dumas - Definitely make sure to travel around Moldova! You can arrange toursto all the must-see areas through the Chisinau Hostel which is easy because they speakEnglish and set everything up for you. Go to Soroca, Orhei Vechi, Milesti Micii and/orCricova (the big wine cellars,) and head south to check out the region of Gagauzia. If youwant a contact to introduce you to Gagauzia, I can put you in contact with my friendAliona who likes to meet foreigners and speaks very good English in addition to Russian.

• Frank McCarty - I’d recommend travelling some in Moldova. You may be able to gowith U.S. friends, Moldovan friends or even tourist groups. I did not try things like golfor beach activities that I normally enjoy. I’d ask colleagues at your work or maybethrough the expats group. Say—I like to do XX—where and how do I find others whoalso enjoy. I know some who did swimming and tennis via expat contacts.

• Christopher Kelley - I ran daily and used an indoor rower that I shipped to Chisinau.Chisinau has many fitness centers.

• Bob Czerniak - There are excellent facilties for aerobics, exercise equipment,swimming, and tennis (indoor clay courts) just east of Strada 31 August between

25

Banelescu Bodoni and Pushkin. There are outdoor courts at the Riscani campus of theTechnical University off Studentilor.

XII. Language and Language Learning

• Malina Dumas - I think it’s a good idea to pick up some Romanian even if you speakRussian. A lot of Moldovans will really appreciate that. Violeta is an excellent tutor. Itook Russian lessons from Andrei Burencov, who is also an excellent person to meet withto learn about the history of the region as his specialty is history. He loves to share hisknowledge about anything and everything. He told me I could put other Fulbrighters incontact with him; he would be more than happy to meet you for coffee. His number is079500005.

• Rebecca Ruck - People in Cahul will speak both Russian and Romanian. There aremany English speakers in Cahul, and if you want to find private language lessons, then itwill be possible.

• Rod Garnett - I took two Romanian language classes per week at Casa limbii române onMateevici Str. http://www.chisinau.md/pageview.php?1=ro&idc=490 My class wastaught in Russian. The teacher I had was excellent, and my colleagues in the class ofabout 18 were very friendly. The class experience was great and I was fortunate that itwas near the Academy of Music.

All of my classes at the Academy of Music have been in Romanian as well as my nailessons. I find that most musicians do not speak English, but are very easy to work within Romanian. I also have assisted a colleague with translating articles and she hasassisted me with translating a paper that I read in Romanian at the Academy of Science. Ihave hired two translators, one for written Russian and one to assist me with writtenRomanian and interviews in Romanian.

I still do not feel very proficient in Romanian or Russian language, but have enjoyedstudying and learning both very much this year.

• Frank McCarty - I took some Romanian lessons through the university’s AmericanStudies Center. Helen has contacts with young Moldovan teachers who will give groupor individual lessons. I had studied some other romance languages so going withRomanian made more sense to me than with Russian, but either could work for you. Youcan do it as much or as little as desired, but I’d recommend at least once a week for 2-3months.

• Christopher Kelley - Most people under 30 in Chisinau know some English. Rarely wasI anywhere where no one spoke English.

I encourage you to consider Malina’s suggestion to meet Andrei (Andrew) Burencov for

26

Russian lessons or conversation or both.

The Moldovan students I knew best asked me about ways to improve their English. Irecommended that they listen to the lectures and other presentations on the Fora.tvwebsite. The vocabulary and content on Fora.tv is immensely richer than the same inEnglish-language movies. Every student who later visited Fora.tv thanked me forintroducing them to it.

• Bob Czerniak - Without a doubt Violeta from the Limba Romana is one of the bestteachers I’ve ever had. She teaches Russian and Romanian and is willing to teach eitherone. She does give private lessons that cost $10/hour. She is just outstanding. Althoughshe does not speak English, it doesn’t matter. Her phone number is 079726951 or060092677

XIII. Teaching

• Melissa McDonald - Students are very welcoming and excited to have an Americanteacher. Be aware that Moldovan teaching styles include a lot of reading and translatingso initially your students may be shy. Academic dishonesty is very common (in all formspossible). Be aware of that and set your expectations early!

• Rebecca Ruck - I had a great experience teaching at the university. Students wereexcited to meet an American, and I found the experience very rewarding. I found thatcoming to class with a smiling face and being over friendly went a long way. Studentswill find you very approachable if you offer to help them outside of class and take thetime to help them understand the material. Cheating is very common. It is a part of theirculture, and unfortunately, they will continue to cheat after multiple warnings. My bestadvice would be to take their phones, notebooks, and bags at the beginning of class andkeep them in the front of the classroom. I had to be the enforcer in the classroom, as myMoldovan coteachers were weary of disciplining the students. That being said, going onan anti-cheating crusade will not get you very far. You are a guest in their culture andshould expect the learning and teaching styles to be different.

I taught English Grammar, American Culture, and British Culture. I would contact theuniversity ahead of time and ask what classes you will be teaching. I brought Americanmagazines, pictures from America, many menus, and other teaching materials in advance.These were great to use in the classroom and my students appreciated authentic material.I also brought a miniprojector, which was a great purchase. Students love multimediamaterial and very rarely see it in the classroom. I also brought a small portable printerwith me. This was perhaps the best purchase I made. Printing is available in Cahul, butthere are often long lines. You might also consider bringing a small scanner. I wouldhave loved to have one when teaching!

I also had an English Club, which was very successful. High school students mostly came

27

to my clubs and it was a rewarding experience. Students are very eager to learn Englishin Cahul. I attracted students by going to the local high schools, and putting up signs atthe university. I teamed up with a Peace Corps volunteer. He taught beginning Englishspeakers while I held a conversation club. I bought Apples to Apples and I would highlysuggest bringing this game. It is great for vocabulary practice and students really loved it.I think bringing a game like Cranium or 20 questions would also be a super idea.

• Frank McCarty - The big surprise here has been noted by others. During my first fewclasses, I thought there were about 22 people in the class. After 3-4 meetings, I gave aquiz that I had let all know about and over 30 showed up. Assignments were oftenhanded in late, but some were of quite good quality. A few were very good students andmany others with non-class things on their minds. During the exam, students talked andcopied from each other. My Moldovan colleague said something once or twice, butstudents continued on in their routine.

• Christopher Kelley - I traveled to Chisinau three times before I moved to Chisinau as aFulbrighter. I taught legal writing in English by DVC to law students at Moldova StateUniversity during the 2010 spring semester. I met with those students in May 2010 togive them certificates for completing the course.

I also met with all of the students I taught at Moldova State University’s law school amonth before I came to Moldova as a Fulbrighter. That meeting was to ask them whatthey wanted me to teach.

Not that this helped much. I taught too many courses. My teaching suffered as a result. And because I was teaching two courses for the first time, I spent almost all my timeteaching and preparing to teach. Do not do this. Say “no” to requests to teach more whenyou have reached the teaching load you can handle competently.

Consider using PowerPoint, videos, and other computer-based teaching aids. In additionto a lightweight computer, I brought a LG ultra-portable projector to Moldova, aprojector I have used in Belarus and Ukraine under circumstances similar to those inChisinau classrooms. None of the classrooms I used was ideal for projecting.Nonetheless, except on a few occasions when the classroom was flooded with sunlight,the projector worked well enough.

If you use a projector, you will need an extension cord. Extension cords are easy to find;all of the electronics stores have them.

If you plan to show videos, you also will need speakers. Finding speakers loud enough toproject sound in a large classroom yet portable enough to carry is challenging. But mostcomputer stores in Chisinau sell a variety of speakers. You will have to decide on whatend to make the compromise–volume or portability.

28

Class attendance was lousy, a phenomenon that I am told is endemic in higher educationin Moldova. It is hard not to take this personally, even after you are told not to take itpersonally.

Because of the possibility that your students will not see you as the Pied Piper and cometo every class, consider making each class session a more or less independent unit of thewhole course. This way, the students who attend irregularly will get something out ofeach class and will not be so thoroughly discouraged that they will stop coming to class.

None of my courses was offered for academic credit. Only one was graded, but solely forpurposes of a transcript notation. In the graded course, a small fraction of the studentsearned their grades; the others received a gift.

I also taught at a law firm and at the Institute for Justice. The weekly course at the lawfirm was fun. I had arranged to do this before I came to Chisinau.

If you really want to have fun, teach with another Fulbrighter. Malina Dumas taught“my” negotiations skills course at the Institute for International Relations.

All of my teaching was in English.

I distributed my assignments by email. If you are going to use email to communicate withyour students, try on the front-end to get their email addresses in legible form.Circulating a sign-up sheet in the first class is not a good way to do this unless you caninfallibly decipher handwriting. If you do not get the email addresses in legible form, youare going to waste a lot of time with emails that bounce back to you. An alternative is toask someone, perhaps the student monitor for the class, to send you the addresses in anemail.

Consider buying a printer, although you can use the printers at the American ResourceCenter. Reading from a printed page is easier on the eyes than reading on a computerscreen. Plus, easy access to a printer makes it easier to create class notes and “hand-outs.”

I had little contact with professors at Moldova State’s law school. I was introduced to thefaculty at the first faculty meeting of the semester. Thereafter, I rarely saw other facultymembers because I was in the building only for my classes. I did not have an office.

Also, because faculty pay is very low, faculty members often teach at more than oneinstitution. Consequently, they, too, are in the building only for their classes.

Outside of the classroom, faculty-student interaction is not common. If you teach at auniversity, your students are likely to appreciate any extra time that you can spend withthem. Be aware, however, that students are busy. Many have jobs, and for this and otherreasons they have busy schedules. Thus, when your class sessions end, your students are

29

not likely to linger.

• Bob Czerniak - Teaching Moldovan students was an interesting experience. I workedwith Architecture, Planning and Logistics graduate students from two different campus ofthe Technical University. The first thing you will notice is that the facilities are often inpoor shape. The rooms are cold, the equipment is sparse, and the blackboards can be adisaster. The facilties vary from faculty to faculty. The students I worked with came inthree groups: 1) students who would do well in US universities (about a third) theyattend all classes, do well on exams, turn in work on time, and are curious about thesubject matter and willing to discuss it; 2) students who come to class when they can(about half the class), do OK on exams, turn in work when they can (some is very late),and will occasionally participate in class discussions; 3) students who rarely come toclass (one sixth), don’t do well on exams, and will turn in all work late if at all. Thesurprising thing about the third group is that they fully expect to pass the class.

Often Moldovan instructors will allow students to retake exams until they pass. I gaveexams one time. I had to physically separate some students so they wouldn’t copy fromeach other’s exams or talk to each other about exam questions. I found out after my firstexperience with this that it is not uncommon.

They will also allow each other to use a common set of homework solutions so it isimportant to put something in the homework that requires individual answers. I woulddiscuss how to handle all this with department chairs ahead of time. Finally, make sureyou know the schedule for classes. Moldova has many holidays that can disrupt classschedules. I gave a final exam in the last week of classes which is rare. The final examscan be spread over a whole month so I would discuss the timing of finals with the chair.

My classes were taught in English with simultaneous translation in Romanian. This wasa hard way to teach especially if you are used to interaction with students. You needpowerpoints that are straightforward and free of jargon. All my powerpoints, exercises,exams were translated into Romanian (they were presented to students as bilingualdocuments). Exams were written in English or Romanian. I had a translator help mewith correcting exams.

I used a video projector that I purchased at the Ippon store in Chisinau on StradaBanelescu Bondoni about five blocks east of Stephan cel Mare near the EconomicsUniversity. It was about $500 and worked fine. You will also need an extension cord. Ayoung man there named Nikolai (he speaks a reasonable amount of English) can takecare of any computer or electronic needs.

XIV. Research

• Malina Dumas - If you want to arrange a meeting with someone or work with a newcontact, go into that person’s office and talk to her directly. You can pretty much forget

30

about accomplishing anything by e-mail. Phone calls can work, but you get miles furtherwhen you talk to a person face to face in Moldova. More often than not that person willbe more than willing to help you out with your research and provide you with morecontacts so it’s worth it to make the effort to arrange meetings with as many people asyou can, even if that person’s specialty isn’t exactly related to what you are working on.You never know who they might be able to link you up with. Moldova, and Chisinauespecially, is a small place and you will find that many of the people you meet know eachother.

In order to conduct research or implement projects in areas outside of Chisinau, it mightbe helpful to be in contact with Peace Corps Volunteers. They will be more than happy tointroduce you to the people in their communities that are more remote and give a betterpicture of the true state of Moldova. You won’t have a problem meeting Peace CorpsVolunteers if you ever leave your apartment, but if you want contacts I have them andcan help you find out who might be best to help you out with your research. There areEuropean volunteers around too, mostly in Chisinau. I wish I had gotten to know themearlier and collaborated with them more. It’s useful to share experiences.

Initially I had wanted to audit courses at one of the universities but it proved verydifficult to make that happen. It is very easy, however, to give lectures on any subjectwhenever you want. You will be asked to give lectures or run discussion groups by atleast three different universities or education centers. These opportunities are great formeeting students and adults who can give you insight about Moldovan politics andculture and in return they are eager to hear about the United States as well. I met a lot ofgreat people through these groups so I would recommend accepting these offers to comespeak.

• Rod Garnett - My research is in both anthropology and ethnomusicology. I startedstudying nai with an excellent and very demanding teacher in mid-October and have hadas many as five lessons in a week since then. I have also done extensive ethnographyincluding field notes and a series of interviews. The interviews have included using IRBforms from my university, which the Moldovan interviewees find to be very puzzling.People love to talk about their music and have all been genuinely pleased to havesomeone from another place interested in them and their music making. I have donemany interviews on my own in Romanian and English, but find that the results are richerwhen I have a translator with me. I am working with a translator who helped me withsome presentations at the Academy of Music. She is very bright and careful to representthe information accurately.

• Frank McCarty - I didn’t do any research except to read more about Moldova and theregion.

• Bob Czerniak - If you plan on doing any historical research that relates to governmentactivity, you need a Russian translator because most documents older than 20 years most

31

likely will be in Russian. It surprising how many government officials speak Russian. Iworked with a few officials. All were helpful. Data generally costs money so beprepared. Most recent documents can be obtained in electronic format.

XV. Gifts and Academic and Event Certificates

• Malina Dumas - I wish I had brought more gifts to give to people from the UnitedStates. Students like t-shirts with stuff written on them in English. You will see many thatmake little to no sense. It’s worth it to bring some souvenirs from your state and someproducts that aren’t so common in Europe. Maple syrup and specific kinds of peanutbutter are popular. You can get “peanut butter” in the grocery store but I think it’s Skippythat the Moldovan students who have worked in the US like.

People are probably going to ask you to buy them computers and other electronics tobring back to them or send to them in Moldova because they believe they are much lessexpensive in the US. Just a heads-up.

• Melissa McDonald - Basic things like keychains or magnets that have words from yourcity or hometown are helpful to have on hand any time. Throughout the year manyMoldovans asked for vitamins, American over-the-counter medicine, and candy. Womenreally appreciate vitamins. Small candles also make a nice gift.

• Rebecca Ruck - I brought many key chains with me to Moldova. Moldovans love keychains and they are easy to pack. Bringing gifts from your hometown are also popular.

• Christopher Kelley - Students like certificates signifying their completion of a course orother activity for which they will not receive academic credit. I used a PowerPointtemplate I found on the Microsoft website to create them. I was not fond of the template,however. If you know how to create templates or have MS Publisher or other documentdesign software on your computer, you might do better than relying on a stock template.

As for gifts, I gave away copies of John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. It is aboutAmerica, at least as it was in 1961. The writing is timeless, however. Unfortunately, Idid not bring enough copies.

XVI. Toasts and Alcohol

• Melissa McDonald - Be aware that toasting and drinking is a large part of culture,especially because Moldovans make their own wine. On an average night with a familyyou may drink a few shots to your health or several if something good happened that day (or you got a new TV). Anytime you are invited to someone’s house expect to drink. You will always eat and drink at the same time. If you can give a short toast, you will berespected and appreciated. DO NOT TRY TO OUTDRINK A MOLDOVAN and keepan eye on your glass because it will be refilled without your approval.

32

• Christopher Kelley - Immoderate alcohol consumption is a hazard of meals and otheroccasions where toasts are offered. Typically, brandy or vodka is the culprit. The properway to drink to a toast is to consume the brandy or vodka in one swallow.

If you say you do not drink, then do not be seen drinking a few days later. You can sayyou have had enough. You also can ask for less alcohol in each serving and then say youhave had enough when that time comes. Most hosts will understand that you are not usedto consuming brandy and vodka in the customary manner. If you choose to getridiculously drunk, make sure someone trustworthy is there to look after you.

XVII. Books, Monographs, and other Resources about Moldova

• Frank McCarty - There are some good relatively short articles about Moldova and itshistory on various internet sources. I’d try to bring some Amazon books about Moldovawith you or read before coming.

• Christopher Kelley - Amazon.com is as convenient place as any to find and acquirebooks about Moldova.

Consider bringing with you Andrei Brezianu & Vlad Spânu, Historical Dictionary ofMoldova (2d ed. 2007), which is available from Amazon. You might find its dictionaryformat useful for learning more about places, people, and events in Moldova.

Ukraine’s Institute of World Policy recently published Scenarios for the Development ofthe Transnistria Conflict: Challenges to European Security. It is the best analysis of theTransnistria conflict that I have found. It is in Ukrainian and English: http://iwp.org.ua/img/IWP-Transnistria_FULL.pdf .

Move about Transnistria can be found in Nicholas Dima, Moldova and the TransdnestrRepublic (2001), which also is available at Amazon. Dima’s book offers a review andanalysis of Moldovan history, though not an unbiased one.

A good overview of socioeconomic matters in Moldova can be found in Giovanni AndreaCornia, Poverty, Inequality and Policy Affecting Vulnerable Groups in Moldova,Innocenti Working Paper No. 2006-05 (UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre 2006)http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/431

XVIII. Miscellaneous

• Malina Dumas - If you play a musical instrument, bring it. I think learning some of thetraditional Moldovan music and getting together to play music with the locals is afantastic way to interact with the culture and make connections with people. It’s notsomething that would be difficult to arrange.

33

• Frank McCarty - Try to find a way to visit colleagues in their homes or apartments orask if they can go with you to a nearby site. It can be difficult to get time with localpeople because they are busy making a living and being with their families, but they willenjoy being with you a couple of times and you’ll enjoy the experience. Similarly, I dida few things with some of the ex-pats in Chisinau. I did not want to spend a great deal oftime with the group, but enjoyed a number of their activities. My contact was RichRoesing at the U.S. Embassy; the web site is chisinauexpats@yahoogroups.com.

• Christopher Kelley - Consider bringing an e-reader, an iPad, or both. When I agreed toteach a course that I had not planned to teach, the ability to get books using my Kindleaccount was wonderful. And an iPad is great for reading newspapers. Incidentally, Amazon’s Kindle does not provide 3G access to Moldova.

Bring an ample supply of business cards.

If you like to staple paper, tape things, highlight text, and the like, bring a small stapler,tape, highlighters, and any other office supplies you favor. Of course, you can buy thesesorts of supplies in Chisinau. But bringing a few supplies with you can be convenient inthe short-term.

You will need plug adapters (standard European two-prong) for your computer and otherelectronic equipment. I favor Walkabout Travel Gear for this sort of stuff: http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/

Computers, iPods, iPads, mobile phones, and the like are dual voltage. You will not needan electrical current converter for them. If you are bringing an item that works only on110/120 volts, you will need to bring a converter so that they will operate on 220/240volts. Portable converters are available from Walkabout Travel Gear and other sources,but even the smallest ones are heavy for their size.

Volunteer for one or more English conversation groups at the Educational AdvisingCenter at 16 Puskin. When you arrive in Moldova, you will learn more about the EAC,the American Resource Center, and other places where you meet and work with studentsand others.

The books I shipped through the State Department arrived within three or four weeks. Ishipped them in extra-sturdy boxes that I purchased on the internet.

Chisinau is a remarkably pleasant place to live. Moldovans are justly known for theirhospitality.

XIX. Contributor Email Addresses

Christopher Kelley <christopher.kelley@fulbrightmail.org>,

34

Malina Dumas <malina.dumas@gmail.com>,

Rodney A. Garnett <Rgarnett@uwyo.edu>,

Melissa McDonald <mmmelissamcdonald@gmail.com>,

Matthew Rellaford <matthew.rellaford@gmail.com>,

Rebecca Ruck <rrebecca@email.unc.edu>,

Robert Czerniak <rczernia@nmsu.edu>,

Frank McCarty <william.mccarty@wmich.edu>,

35